Adult Acne: A Bumpy Ride Towards Aging

Written by Charlene J. Nuble

Picture this; snow-white clear skin that you have been proud of since your teen years has suddenly poofed into a wicked witch's warty face upon reaching age of 30! "Acne, at my age?" This is often distressed statement of pockmarked men and women in their 30's to 40's afflicted with adult acne.

This problem is surely not work of a vengeful sorcerer. Acne vulgaris is what this most common skin disorder in United States is scientifically called. Statistics has it that 15 million people in US alone are afflicted with acne. It is an embarrassing problem among teenagers. But this condition is not only limited to those awkward years. Adult acne is also prevalent, especially among people in age group of 25 to 40.

Acne is a disease that resulted from accumulation of sebum, a highbrow term for oil, underneath skin. When this happens and desquamation (human's way of molting) process goes wrong, pores become clogged. Aggravation will continue and soon infection sets in. A bad bug called Propionibacterium acnes causes this infection. Overproduction of oil and mismanagement of process of shedding cells equals bunged pores. Clogged pores plus P. acnes, scoundrel, equals breakout. Those pesky zits are produced just as easy as that.

One of pushing forces that may cause occurrence of acne includes elevation of levels of testosterone among adolescents. No, it's not Toblerone misspelled. No matter how many anecdotes you've heard about chocolate addiction causing zits to dominate your face, there's really no enough scientific basis to prove this. Testosterone is a chemical produced by body that increase sebum production and change keratin of hair follicles. Testosterone is an androgen. Androgen is a hormone produced in high levels among males. This is reason behind worse cases of acne among teenage boys more than girls.

Adult acne is called acne rosacea. It is characterized by following: unsightly thick, red skin on nose and cheeks, pus-filled blisters, small red bumps, and small red blood vessels seen on skin surface. It is more commonly linked to increased levels of stress. Isn't it interesting how body reacts to this stimulus? NOT. When exhausted, like Gizmo getting wet, our skin could actually give birth to little monsters! Though they are not as troublesome as gremlins, they could be just as annoying as well. Seriously, pimples can be difficult to deal with, and can cause depression and anxiety in an adult same way it can in a teen. Pressure from work and family responsibilities is thought to possibly affect normal balance of our hormones. And hormones messed up means having to put up with bumpy complexion caused by adult acne.

Aside from stress-triggered hormonal imbalance, hot foods alcohol consumption, and smoking are also considered to exacerbate adult acne. This may help you reconsider your food preferences and habits.

Oh, No! I Have Backne! The Continuing Mystery Behind Back Acne

Written by Charlene J. Nuble

ďBackneĒ is street slang for back acne. And while contractionís definite origin is unknown, it can be said that it comes from fact that nearly everyone in world has, at one point in his or her life, experienced having back acne. Indeed, back acne is universal enough to merit its own term.

Back acne knows no specific target. It afflicts people from ages ten to forty; sometimes even years after that. A lot of theories have been introduced as to why back acne happens. Sadly, however, none have been proven to be direct cause of back acne. But, before we get into that, letís see first what constitutes back acne.

Back acne happens when so-called sebaceous glands (or glands that create oily substance) produce an excess of oil. Commonly, males suffer from back acne, particularly during puberty, where shooting androgen levels interfere with sebaceous glands and cause them to overproduce, clogging skin pores. Such clogging attracts bacteria; hence, back acne is born. And, mind you, back acne does not only appear on a personís back; it can also surface on buttocks.

Some believe that back acne is aggravated by wearing tight clothes and constant heat exposure, which disallows skin to breathe. However, since we are fully clothed most of time and it is inevitable that we sit, it is impossible for us to prevent back acne consciously. Therefore, it would be better if we just focus on ways to control them.